Soham trial begins with floral tributes and a stern warning from the judge

About half a dozen floral tributes were left outside the Old Bailey yesterday as the selection of jurors began for the trial of Ian Huntley, who is accused of murdering the Soham schoolgirls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Mr Huntley, 29, denies two counts of murder. Also on trial is his former partner Maxine Carr, 26, who denies two charges of assisting an offender and one of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

The 10-year-olds disappeared from their homes in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on 4 August last year, triggering one of the biggest manhunts seen in Britain.

They were found dead 13 days later.

Their parents, Kevin and Nicola Wells and Sharon and Leslie Chapman, braved an army of photographers waiting outside the court yesterday. Kevin and Nicola Wells arrived with Sharon and Leslie Chapman and a team of police family liaison officers. Mr Huntley, a former school caretaker and Ms Carr, a classroom assistant, who are both from Soham, sat with a security officer.

Mr Justice Moses presided in court number one, where the slow process of selecting the jury began.

With 100 potential candidates filling the court room, the judge took the rare step of revealing the case to be considered. "It concerns the death of two girls in Soham, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman," he said. "Normally before a case starts you would not hear anything about it but for reasons I will come to it is necessary to tell you that."

He then asked anyone who had a relative or friend from the Soham area or connected to the investigation to alert him to the fact.

Pointing out that the trial was likely to last into January, he asked anyone with immovable commitments to make themselves known as it would be "disastrous" for someone to leave the jury with the trial under way.

"Serving on a jury in any case is probably the most important obligation that any citizen has to undertake and in these circumstances there has to be a very good reason one chosen by ballot to serve on a jury is unable to do so," he continued.

An initial 25 potential jurors were selected and sent home for the night to give them time to consider whether any commitments would prevent them from serving. A final 12 will be chosen today.

Richard Latham QC is due to open the prosecution case tomorrow while Mr Huntley's defence case is being led by Stephen Coward QC and Ms Carr's by Michael Hubbard QC.

Among the bunches of flowers an arrangement of lilies, pink daisies and other flowers, bore the card "From Manchester United Supporters and Players".

Another bouquet of white daisies and pink roses was in the shape of a cross while a red and white T-shirt had the inscription: "In loving memory of Holly and Jessica from the nation and Reading Rock Festival. RIP."